Cotton-grader.



L. A. GREENE.

COTTON GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. z2, 190s.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

ANDREW. B. GRAHAM oo` mwTo-muoamvuens. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PAT@ FFlQE.

LEMUAL A. GREENE, 0F GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN J'. WELCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COTTON-GRADER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LnuUAL A. GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Graders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to cotton graders and especially to the type shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 499,358, issued to me on .lune 13, 1893.

rlhe object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the cotton grader shown in my said patent whereby it will be more convenient to use and more durable.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

It is well known that under different lights or conditions of light a sample of raw cotton will appear to be of different qualities; and it is extremely difficult for a purchaser, unless well acquainted with the light of the apartment in which the sample is exhibited, to determine the quality of such sample. By the use of my invention the purchaser is able to compare the sample of raw cotton of unknown quality with a sample of known quality under the same condition of light.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure l is a plan View of the cotton grader with the hinged glass cover plate closed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the scale and spring clamp, and Fig. 3 is a central cross sectional view of the cotton grader with the hinged glass cover plate open as when in use.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a casing of suitable size and preferably made of sheet metal. One side of said casing is provided with a transparent cover 2 of magnifying glass. To one edge of that side there is hinged a glass plate 3 of similar magnifying power as the transparent cover. Said hinged plate is preferably the same size Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22, 1908.

Patented Sept. 28,1909.

Serial No. 449,861.

as the cover 2 and may be folded upon the same when not in use. Said plate is secured or locked in this folded position by means of the spring clip a or any other suit-able device. The interior of the casing 1 is preferably divided by partitions 5 into a series of compartments into which various grades of raw cotton of known qualities are placed. Access is had to the interior of the casing by a hinged non-transparent closure 6 at the opposite side of said casing from the transparent cover. Said closure o is normallly held shut by a spring clip 7 or any other suitable means.

To one edge of the casing there is secured a scale 8 with a spring clamp 9 arranged at one end thereof. The indicia on this scale are arranged so as to read properly, that is to be in an upright position, when the casing is placed with the non-transparent closure uppermost. The object of this is to permit a salesman or purchaser to remove a part of one of the samples of raw cotton from the casing after opening the cover 6 and test said sample on the scale, as to the length of its staple, without it being necessary to shut said closure and turn the casing over. It will be noted that in testing the length of thestaple one end of the cotton is clamped below the spring by pressing on said spring with the nger or thumb while the other end is drawn out over the scale.

In use, the transparent hinged plate 3 is extended as illustrated in Fig. 3 and a sample of the unknown cotton placed under it for comparison with the samples of known cotton arranged in the casing below the transparent cover 2. It will be notedv that the hinging of the transparent plate enables the device to be more conveniently transported and used than if said plate were made in one piece with the cover 2 as shown in my above mentioned patent. The present improved construction also lessens the danger of the plate becoming broken as it is not exposed when folded to anything like the extent it is when rigidly projecting from the casing as in the patented construction. It will also be noted that the arrangement of the closure 6 at the side of the casing instead of at the edge thereof and hinging said closure to the casing instead of providing sliding connection therewith, are also important im-V provements overl the construction shownl in my former patent.

' I am aware that changes in the form' and proportion of parts and details of construeL tion of the devices herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invent-ion such changes as fairly fall within the scopev of the same.

I claim:

l. A cotton grader comprising a casing adapted to contain a sample of cotton, a transparent cover for said casing and a hinged transparent cover plate adapted to be extended for the purpose specified or closed when' not lin use.

2. A cotton grader'comprising' a casing adapted to contain a sample of cotton7 a transparent cover of magnifying glass for said casing and a hinged transparent cover plate of glass of similar magnifying power to that covering the casing and `adapted to be extended for the purpose specified or closed when not in use.

3. A` cotton grader comprising a casing adapted" to contain a sample of cotton, a transparent cover for said casing, a hinged transparent cover plate adapted to be eX- -tended for the purpose specified or closed when not in use and means to lock said plate when closed. Y A. A cotton'grader comprising a casing adapted to contain a sample of cotton, a transparent cover for said casing,` a hinged transparent cover plate adapted to be eX- tendedI for'the purpose specified or closed when not in use7 al hinged non-transparent cover on the opposite side of the casing and means for holding it normally closed.'

In testimony whereof, I afliXmyv signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LEM'UAL AQ GREENE.` Vitnesses A. B. TAYLOR, FRANK F'. MARTIN- 

